Scientists design spacesuit which turns urine into drinking water
On future lunar missions, astronauts may be able to complete extended spacewalks thanks to a sci-fi-inspired spacesuit that turns pee into drinking water.
The prototype gathers urine, purifies it, and can deliver it to the astronaut through a drinking tube in five minutes. It is modelled after the ‘stillsuits’ from Dune.
The makers of the suit intend to utilise it in NASA's Artemis programme, which focuses on learning how to live and function for extended periods of time on other planets, by the end of the decade.
Sofia Etlin, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University and co-designer of the suit said: “The design includes a vacuum-based external catheter leading to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit, providing a continuous supply of potable water with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure astronaut wellbeing.
“Astronauts currently have only one litre of water available in their in-suit drink bags. This is insufficient for the planned longer-lasting lunar spacewalks, which can last 10 hours, and even up to 24 hours in an emergency.”
The makers of the suit intend to utilise it in NASA's Artemis programme, which focuses on learning how to live and function for extended periods of time on other planets, by the end of the decade.
In addition, there have long been grievances regarding the present waste management solution —the maximum absorbency garment, or MAG—which is essentially an adult nappy.According to reports, the clothing is unclean, uncomfortable, and prone to leaking, which has caused some astronauts to restrict their food and drink intake before spacewalks and others to report having UTIs.
The suggested stillsuit system consists of a silicone collection cup that is shaped to fit around the genitalia; the sizes and shapes of the cups differ for males and women. This is enclosed in an undergarment composed of several flexible fabric layers.A moisture-activated vacuum pump, which is connected to the silicon cup, turns on automatically the moment the astronaut starts to urinate.
Urine is collected and directed into a filtration system, where it is recycled into water with an 87 per cent efficiency.
The device uses a pump to extract water from salt and an osmosis system to extract water from pee.
In just five minutes, 500ml of urine may be collected and purified. Upon deployment, the electrolyte-enriched filtered water might be given back to the astronaut as an energy drink.It was determined that the system, measuring 38cmx23cmx23cm and weighing about 8kg, was small enough and light enough to be carried on the back of a spacesuit.
To evaluate the system's comfort and functionality, the team intends to enlist 100 volunteers in New York in the autumn.
